About SOC
Stirchley Open Cinema was developed in 2018 by a small group of people living in Stirchley and surrounding areas who believe that film is a great way to bring people together and build community.
Local Innovation Funding from Birmingham City Council has helped Stirchley Open Cinema get off the ground; providing the funding to access training, develop free marketing resources, launch a website, and run a variety of pilot events. The pandemic shut things down for a couple of years but we always said “we’ll be back” and here we are!
Stirchley Open Cinema is currently run by several very enthusiastic, very tired volunteers. But we are always looking for an extra pair of hands. If you fancy providing those hands, get in touch.
Peggy, Steve, Chris, and James sinking some White Russians at Yardbirds, Stirchley Film & Food Fest 2023
Charis, Chris, and James. AKA: Ellen Ripley, Donnie Darko, and Ed from Shaun of the Dead (what do you mean it wasn’t obvious?!)
James, Chris, Peggy, and Dan at the 20th Anniversary screening of THE ROOM at the MAC
What We Do
Our home is at Stirchley Baths, where we put on regular Friday Features on the last Friday of every month. These are usually popular films that you may have missed at the cinema, films with Oscar buzz, and generally films that get a wide UK release.
In addition to this we also run Pop-Up Pictures around town, where we screen cult classics, world cinema, documentaries, arthouse cinema, smaller indie films, that sort of thing. So far we have shown films at The Old Post Office Co-Working Space, Artefact, and The Birmingham Brewing Company. If you fancy hosting us in the future, give us a shout!
Polite Society at Anjuna Lounge, Stirchley Film & Food Fest, 2023
Community
We believe that anyone can put on their own film event with a little bit of help! Stirchley Open Cinema has evolved from the idea that, if armed with the right knowledge, resources, and a helping hand to get you started, people living locally will have the tools to run film events for themselves; to bring together their neighbours and groups of people who share similar interests or needs; to build stronger community networks and enjoy the magic of the movies together.
You do not have to use Stirchley Open Cinema resources to run your own film events in Stirchley. Far from it! However, if you decide it suits you to collaborate, we may be able to add value.
As a group of individuals, we care about community and believe films can bring people together. Our purpose is to help make it a bit easier for people to create their own community cinema experiences in the area to benefit the people who live here.
Thank you to Flatpack and Film Hub West Midlands for all your helpful advice and support.
We are developing a ‘How to set up your own film events’ guide with specific focus on community cinema experiences in Stirchley, primarily at Stirchley Baths, but will be useful for anyone interested in setting up their own film night, wherever you live.
We are writing this guide to share our experiences and knowledge we acquire, but the guidance will evolve as we learn more!
Get in touch if you’d like a copy - stirchleycinema@gmail.com
Back to the Future at Birmingham Brewing Company, Stirchley Film & Food Fest 2023 (if you look closely, you’ll see Chris on his knees, praying the equipment works)
Look mum! Our very own beer!